Exposure

One of the great things about living in a major metropolitan area is there’s always something to do. No matter the day, no matter the time, if you look close enough, you’ll find something going on. While the days of knowing about the hot happy hours and poppin’ night spots are long gone, I’m more in tune now with keeping my eye open to family-friendly outings and things my wife and kids might be interested in. 

A few weeks ago, I was driving and saw a sign posted on the side of the road that caught my eye. It said “Demolition Derby” with some upcoming dates. I made a mental note of it and made sure I wrote it down in my notes folder because when you turn 40, all of a sudden your memory seems to fade, at least mine has. So when I eventually got home, I did some research on the event. And by research I mean checking social media for pictures of previous events, and location tag searches. Sure enough, I found some pictures from a Demolition Derby that was held last year. Two things in particular I was looking for – 1) were there kids there around Emory’s age, and 2) was it a “diverse” crowd. Both were true. 

This was especially of interest to me because I’d missed out on an opportunity to go to the monster truck show earlier this year. As a dad, I kick myself sometimes when I see things after the fact that I knew I would’ve wanted to check out and take Emory to. I know I can’t do everything, but I’d rather know about something and choose not to go, rather than being completely out of the loop.

When it finally came time to take the 45-minute drive down to St. Mary’s County in Maryland, there was a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Going to a Demolition Derby was not only a new experience for Emory, but for my wife and I as well. It’s one of the (many) cool things about parenting. Some of the things you never did growing up, you’re able to experience with your kids as they go through life. And on this Saturday, I’m sure Emory didn’t know what was really going on, but being able to watch him get excited about seeing the cars ram into each other, be around a crowd of people from all walks of life, and  enjoying the Tootsie Roll Pop that he was given when we paid for our tickets at the front gate made it worthwhile.  

As a dad, I want to be able to provide as many experiences for my kids as possible. To expose them to as much as I can to diversify their interests. For as much as the trip to the Demolition Derby was “fun,” it was a chance to give Emory a glimpse into a world that he wouldn’t ordinarily come in contact with. And who knows, maybe down the line he’ll develop an interest in cars. The opportunities are endless. With that, comes my responsibility to expose him to as much as I can.